Russell T Davies has been talking just a little bit more about the now-in-development fourth series of Torchwood, which is being put together thanks to a deal between the BBC and American cable network Starz. Between them, they've given the greenlight for ten episodes, and Davies has been telling SFX what he plans to do with them.

The good news is that he looks to be continuing the tone set by the superb Torchwood: Children Of Earth. He told SFX, "Actually, this story is also very dark. I think with that, Torchwood found its feet. People found something very compelling and very chilling about it ... I thought it was fascinating and challenging what he did there, but hard - it was so hard. I do think with the whole of Children Of Earth we found a new heartland for Torchwood."

Davies went on to explain how he's pitching the series to its new audience on Starz.

"For faithful viewers you'll see the same people in the same world, following on. Though it also starts from scratch, because there's a brand new Starz audience there sitting waiting to be scooped up, new viewers coming to it. But I restarted Doctor Who in 2005 from scratch, so I know what I'm doing. I did it with Children Of Earth, actually - that practically tripled Torchwood's audience, and no one said to me that they were lost. So it's a new starting point and yet... as a faithful viewer you do get that awful feeling when something reboots or revamps that you're not comfortable anymore, and there's none of that. It's still Gwen, it's still Jack, and hopefully more."

Torchwood series 4 will screen in the summer of 2011.

SFX